Daily Log

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We began the day by laying out the trench on the mastergrid.  The coordinates for the trench are:

• NW - 137mE 22mS
• NE - 141mE 22mS
• SE - 141mE 29mS
• SW - 137mE 29mS

We are currently unaware if there is plastic or backfill in the area directly to the east of feature A.  Therefore, we have decided to do a 60x60cm sounding between:

• SE - 140.72mE/26.03mS
• NE - 140.89mE/25.54mS
• NW - 140.70mE/25.42mS
• SW - 140.09mE/25.99mS

At a depth of 28.02m it appears that no plastic was laid down following the original excavation of this area.  Additionally, it appears that this area just contains some erosional soil covering the level of prior excavation.  We will now discontinue work in this areaand focus on feature A.  We are now working to clear away the remaining backfill and clean the baulks along the western side of feature A.  We have divided feature A into two sections N/S along the grid line 25.5mS.  We will now begin excavation on the southern section first.  Opening Locus 1 photos and coordinates were

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taken of the southern section, along with opening elevations and coordinates of southern feature A (see pg. 13 for the coordinates).  Began to trowel through Locus 1 separating dirt into buckets focusing on defining the southern section of feature A.  The soil is a flaky light gray soil with a heavy concentration of organic material and a few small (5 cm) stones.  The NE corner of feature A directly north of the large slab of stone and the tree stump has been heavily eroded, therefore making excavation in this area more problematic.  While troweling in the northern meter of the locus we appear to have uncovered a change in soil.  This new soil appears to be slightly claylike and a medium brown color.  We will now being to move south and find the extent of this new soil.  In the southern meter of the locus we are uncovering large stones which seem to be in line with the southern wall of OC3.

PM

Continuing to explore the extent of the new soil with trowels.  Upon removing locus 1 soil in the eroded NE corner of the southern half of feature A a black tarp was located underneath the soil.  Upon further investigation it is difficult to determine the extent of the tarp for it disintegrates as it is uncovered.  Therefore, the soil is being scraped away with trowels.  In an attempt to determine

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the tarp's extent.  It is now clear that at least in the northern most meter we have been excavating in backfill from earlier excavation. Locus 1 is the top soil which had formed on the top of the backfill and the new soil appears to be backfill as it is very loose and sandy.  We will now begin to remove the backfill.  In the northern meter of the section we are working we seem to have remvoed the extent of the backfill.  The new soil is a medium brown soil with yellow flecks.  Also the soil seems to contain a large amount of carbon.  We are beginning to define its extent.

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